CASE CLOSED
Munster look to move on from Cronin episode
MUNSTER CEO Ian Flanagan has defended the province’s anti-doping protocols in the wake of the James Cronin case but says they have ‘learned lessons’ from the episode.
Cronin was handed a one-month ban by EPCR — European rugby’s governing body — after the Munster prop tested positive for the banned substances prednisolone and prednisone following his side’s clash with Racing 92 last November.
Following an investigation, it was deemed that the Corkman’s failed test was due to a ‘dispensing error’ by the pharmacy. Sport Ireland would later brand the sanction as ‘quite lenient’.
Asked if the fiasco had damaged Munster’s reputation, Flanagan replied: ‘No one likes being associated with a doping violation, let me be clear about that.
‘I am also very clear that we have very rigorous and stringent processes in place. Arguably, our process around prescribing medicine is more rigorous and has a paperwork trail and verification
BORN and reared in Ballyphehane in Cork City, Ian Flanagan used to cycle past Musgrave Park every day as a child.
He remembers chasing Tony Ward around the pitch looking for an autograph as a youngster.
He was steeped in the history of the province from a young age but it was stints abroad at Leicester City and Barcelona that shaped him into a man capable of running a business.
He took up the role as chief executive officer of Munster last October, succeeding the late Garrett Fitzgerald, an institution at the province.
Affectionately described as ‘Mr Munster’ by Flanagan yesterday, he knew he had huge shoes to fill.
Fitzgerald was at the heart of Munster for 20 years, seeing the club’s rise into a European super power and all the struggles in between. Fitzgerald, who passed away in February at the age of 65, was a brilliant CEO but he was so much more. There was emotional intelligence in abundance. When a newly-signed player arrived at Shannon Airport, Fitzgerald would be there to greet them. He knew when a player needed a pat on the back or a kick in the a**e. The longest-serving chief executive in Irish rugby, Fitzgerald left a lasting legacy at Munster.
Flanagan knew the scale of the task when he arrived late last year. The weight of history is felt on everyone who walks through the doors of the province’s highperformance centre in Limerick. The constant reminders of the glory days of the first decade of this millennium and the virtually barren decade which followed – a solitary 2011 Celtic League title in the period spanning 2010 to 2020.
Those challenges were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, there is much to be excited about in Munster. The arrival of
Damian de Allende and RG Snyman – a pair of World Cupwinning Springboks – to bolster the most exciting batch of academy players to emerge since the likes of Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and Keith Earls burst onto the scene 10 years ago.
Most of Flanagan’s remit is offfield matters, however. In his first address to the media yesterday, via video call in these Covid times, of course, he addressed the many challenges facing Munster and Irish rugby.
The current health crisis has exposed an over-reliance on matchday revenue across the entire business. The IRFU will be acquiring a significant slice of the €40million relief fund – along with the FAI and GAA – a badlyneeded injection of funds.
As things stand, Flanagan is unsure how those funds will be used in the coming months while he, unsurprisingly, struck a diplomatic tone about the current negotiations between the IRFU and Rugby Players Ireland – the union which represents professional rugby players in Ireland.
Both camps will meet again today to try to reach agreement over proposed pay cuts of 20 per cent after the current wage deferral scheme reaches its conclusion at the end of this month.
‘It has been a very open and very positive conversation, is my understanding,’ he said.
Looking further down the track, the big worry for Munster is if wages do take a cut, as expected, then it will severely hinder their ability to retain and recruit top players in the future.
It’s no secret players can earn a lot more cash in England, France or even further afield in Japan.
The likes of O’Mahony, Earls and CJ Stander are all out of contract in June 2021.
All three are on the wrong side of 30 and may be tempted to head abroad for one final big payday before retirement.
Staying in Ireland has always been attractive from a welfare point of view but the average career of a professional rugby player in this country is just six years these days and money talks.
‘No-one really knows, is the simple answer,’ Flanagan said.
‘Contracting season doesn’t usually begin for a couple of months when we get into discussions with players and agents. What I will say is I can’t see any country where rugby or indeed any other sport is unaffected by this. This is something that’s happening around the world so Irish Rugby is not alone in this.
‘I would say that players come to Munster with a clear purpose in mind and I think all the players who have recently arrived share the same objective and ambition as anyone else in our dressing room.
‘They want to be successful and
win trophies and compete at the highest level. Those are the main objectives and that’s the primary motivation for being here because we all know that players can get more and higher salaries in other parts of the world and that’s never been our unique selling point.
‘That’s never been the main driver coming to Irish rugby or coming to Munster. So we’re confident that that will continue to be the case.’
Keeping pace with old rivals Leinster will be a top priority.
Both provinces will lock horns on August 22, behind closed doors, in the Aviva Stadium. The first step in a new beginning for Flanagan and this operation as a whole.
‘We’re ambitious. I don’t think anyone is in any doubt about how ambitious we are, we want to win silverware,’ he added.
‘We want to compete at the highest level and Leinster have won the PRO14 for two years.
‘They were having an incredible season right up until the cessation of the season in March.’
The bar has been set in the boardroom and on the pitch.
Time to get to work.